


Scene Two: Aftermath

by Angeltigerdragon



Category: The Authority, WildStorm
Genre: Break Up, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2018-12-22 16:44:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11971464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angeltigerdragon/pseuds/Angeltigerdragon
Summary: Wildstorm Winter Special: Two Dangerous Ideas. What was going through Daylighter's head as he saw a version of himself and Pluto still together? What was going through Midnighter's when he saw Apollo might leave him?





	1. Chapter 1

_Daylighter_

**They are us.**

That fucking thought flows in my head when we enter the Junction Room of this world's Carrier. These two-Apollo and Midnighter-don't have the idea. A relief for us. We start off with names and go into the matter about the suicide Idea. It's..difficult. 

Pluto and I don't fit seamlessly together-The Technician and Jake Hawkins have made it clear-and with the divorce and custody of Jessie Quarx....it's fucking awful. 

When I hear Pluto finish about tracking the idea, I see how Apollo reaches for Midnighter's hand. Pluto used to do that.

"If you can keep your hands off each other..." I mutter.

Midngihter gets in my face and I bite my tongue. Jealousy's not what we need right now. 

"Ahhhh.....Pluto? Are we talking about a creature, or a weapon, or...?" Apollo says. He's trying to diffuse the situation. Too much like my-no, Pluto isn't mine. Not anymore. "Worse," Pluto says. "An Idea."

We end up in Manhattan, where the corpses of the idea have already wreaked havoc. It's a fucking graveyard in the city. Midnighter and I are on the ground. I look up at the two men flying. Pluto's black suit to Apollo's white juxtapose each other. Pluto still shines more; even after breaking them, he makes my hearts skip beats. 

Midnighter has said something and I am on autopilot. Next I know, I am on the ground with a bloody nose.

"Stupid." I can barely do my shit nowadays. Jake's been taking me off missions. And I can't fucking be angry because I keep getting distracted; Pluto's going to win the custody, I know. We don't have anything except Jessie to fight over. Honestly, what stings is that she wants to be with him more. I get up off my sorry ass and try to do my fucking job.

Eventually, we find the infected man. He is heading for Rockefeller center and we know he has the Idea

I see Pluto get ready for a Black Hole in the guy's head and I smile. He used to do that to impress me when we were running from Harvey Bender. But then, Apollo dives down and grabs the guy. 

"Pluto!" I yell as Midngihter yells "Apollo!"

He glares at me for a second, and then follows his husband through the door that has appeared.

Pluto lands next to me.

"What the actual fuck?"

"He said he had an answer." Pluto shrugs. "Honestly, I think I may know where he's going with this."

"You do?" I ask.

"Yeah," Pluto says. 

We live on the same goddamn ship, we were married, we raised a baby together, and even now I can't say a fucking thing in this awkward situation. My computer keeps telling me to hurt him by lying about a new lover. Ha! I've barely touched myself since he threw me out of our room. The one thing comes to mind; Pluto's dumb and wonderful hobbies, but I'm desperate to say something.

"How goes the crochet...?" Pussy.

"Fine. I've made Jessie some cute little hats."

"Hm...what color?"

"Her favorite."

I smile at that. "Cerise."

Pluto frowns at me. Yes, at me. 

"No, it's aubergine now. Last week it was everything salmon. Before that, she had to have all things lime green."

"I didn't know....you've haven't let me see her...."

"You're never there when I call."

Shits about to happen, I know it. Pluto's body is tense as hell and I reach for my staff. He never hits me, but one day I know he won't hold back anymore. Luckily for the people on the street, our counterparts appear.

Back on the Carrier, Apollo tells us he led the Idea to a Hollywood producer and it died with the man's interference. I almost laugh at this. Then my gut clenches. Pluto had a similar thought, one I wasn't aware of. Whenever and whoever gave him this, I wasn't there. God, when was the last time we had a decent conversation. 

Midnighter's talking again and I catch the tail end. ".....But if I ever catch your homophobic ass on my earth again, I will cheerfully apply a jackhammer to it."

I huff. That would be the most action I've had in a year. I bow my head. I won't let this fucking happy couple see me cry.

"Homophobic? Is that what you think?" My voice's tenor rises for a nano-second. I catch it.

"Well?" says Midnighter.

"Jesus," I exclaim.

Pluto backs away to the door. He looks at me and bites his lip. 

"I'll..I'll wait for you in our Carrier."

**Our. Nothing is fucking ours anymore, just his or mine. Nothing's mine.**

"Don't do me any goddamng favors," I yell.

Pluto shakes his head and leaves.

"You have something to say?" asks Midnighter.

The truth's the only thing keeping me and him from going a few rounds. With Apollo there, a glorious copy of my beautiful Pluto, I can't win.

"I just...I **hate** to see you and Apollo together. You're so much  **like** us." 

**But your god-king still loves you.**

"How threatening," Midnighter sneers.

"You're not letting me tell you. Pluto...he...." Holy fuck, I'm going to cry. I can't stop it. I look Midnighter straight in the eye. "He dumped me."

I see the impact immediately; Midnighter's eyes widen and Apollo's face is sickly pale.

"H...ho-how?" Midnigher stumbles.

My mouth twitches; this asshole has treated me like a fucking bigot since I arrived. I wipe my nose and shrug. Midnighter reaches for me, but I turn to my door. However, I take one last look at his face. Fear. Anxiety. Hopelessness.

Good, I leave him wallowing in how the man we didn't deserve in the first place might leave him too. For, if my love wasn't enough to keep Pluto as mine, then Midnighter's in the same boat and I hope it sinks. I want Apollo to break him. I want to feel validated for not being the only fuck-up in the goddamn universe who lost his god. 

**I wish for us to be _you_ again. **

Never. I enter the Carrier's Junction room and I am alone. 


	2. Chapter 2

**They are not us. I'm...I'm not like him....**

That fucking coward copycat Daylighter left. With psycho-bullshit to screw me up with Apollo. I knew he was just a homophobe.

Yep, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all. 

Apollo better stop pacing....

"Look, just because they couldn't make it work-"

"It's all right. Don't say anything. It's all right."

I know I'm harsh. Apollo's reflection shows in the black screen of the television. A scant hours ago, we sat in this room watching a stupid superhero movie. Apollo, the artist type he is, critiquing it as we watched.  I called him "cute" and I threw a kernel into his mouth. Pure domesticity.

I can see him about to speak before he opens his mouth. He's nervous hands rubbing against each other.

"I guess they brought more than  _one_ dangerous idea with them," he sighs heavily. "Look, I just have to tell you-"

"Don't."

**Don't think about all the reasons you shouldn't be with me. Don't think about why Pluto left him. Why you should leave me.**

Apollo blissfully shuts his big beautiful mouth. I hate how beautiful he is. I hate how even freezing him out he comes to comfort me. Apollo leans on the back of the couch and wraps his arm around my neck. I can think of fifty different tactics to pull it off and place him in a body case if he were normal. We were never normal. 

**But _you_** **are damaged beyond repair.**

"I'll never leave you," Apollo whispers so sweetly. He leaves me finally.

* * *

My half of the bed's full. Apollo is awake. The guise not even necessary. Jenny lies in his arms as they occupy my side. The little girl is practically the most powerful being on earth and she already plays favorites. It is not a competition. Apollo's always been the more fahterly/friendly/gay type than me.

I get to the bathroom and brush my teeth. Sadly, I have to see my unmasked face. We may not know how old we are, but Apollo and I are not out of college. 

He is a god. There's no denying that.

I take off my shirt and the scars stare back.

**Apollo is your god. Are you sufficient sacrifice?**

"Shut up," I whisper. He can't come in. He can't see me like this. It's fucking nuts, but I can't let him see me now. I strip to my underwear and put on an undershirt. Jenny's used to us half-dressed. She even strips herself if we are not looking. 

I get out because staying too long will alert the big hearted dummy. 

I climb on his side and spoon my man from behind.

Apollo so slightly leans back into my touch and the tenseness  melts from both of us. I nuzzle the  crook of his neck and inhale. 

How did we end up together? So perfect.

**Let's see. You gaped at him under Bendix's watch but never said anything, especially when the lizard guy started to have "late night chats" winkwink. Then the whole team died in front of Apollo which caused traumatic stress, and then one night while he was vulnerable you fucked him. In a warehouse.**

"What's wrong?" Apollo whispers. 

My hands are clenched and my nails must be digging into his skin. I feel sick. I let go and sit on the edge of the bed.

"Midnighter," Apollo whispers. He doesn't want to wake Jenny. "I know. When you want to, please, just please, speak to me."

I choke on a gasp and run out the room. I cannot promise him anything. Our marriage vows might as well be garbage. I know who I am and he does too. Pluto knew about Daylighter.

If he leaves I will be that pathetic sack. But then, I won't have anything to hold me back. I won't have a reason to be here. I won't have him or Jenny.

How do we stay together? How do we stay together when the world made us opposites?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally here! I have posted in a while and since I've been working on the ReverseBang Superbat I haven't had a lot of time so I decided to get at least one finished. Finally, disregard any background information as headcanon.

**Author's Note:**

> I read the special after I found a picture of the two opposite dopplegangers on Google images and I was surprised by the story. Reading it, I had to write something to explain Daylighter's depression and Midnighter's poker face. Look it up if you can. Since, they are opposites in costume and names I've added more.  
> Here is a link to the image: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2F68.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_mdco5jcEKS1qgye5oo1_500.png&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumblr.com%2Ftagged%2Fpluto-and-daylighter&docid=wJWPqhtaXBUJcM&tbnid=L-wat4jTgIc8DM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwid0OunxoXWAhVJ6YMKHV_ZAI4QMwgnKAAwAA..i&w=500&h=463&bih=662&biw=1366&q=pluto%2Fdaylighter&ved=0ahUKEwid0OunxoXWAhVJ6YMKHV_ZAI4QMwgnKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8


End file.
